This relates to electronic devices and, more particularly, to keys for electronic devices such as keyboards and equipment that includes keyboards.
Electronic devices such as computer keyboards and portable computers have keys. Keys generally include a plastic key cap attached to a switch mechanism. The key caps may be labeled with alphanumeric characters. When a key is pressed, the switch mechanism closes. The closed state of the switch mechanism may be detected by circuitry in the keyboard.
Keys are sometimes provided with springs. For example, some keyboards use a bucking spring design in which a coil spring biases each key cap. Scissor-type springs may also be used in keyboards to help provide key caps with spring action. Keyboards such as these tend to exhibit large amounts of travel. This may not be desirable, particularly in keyboard applications that require low profile designs and quiet operation.
In keyboards with relatively low amounts of key travel, key caps are sometimes attached directly to dome switches. Keyboards of this type may sometimes exhibit rattle due to insufficient control of the lateral displacement of the keycaps or may provide undesirably low amounts of tactile feedback due to the modest amount of spring action provided by the dome switches.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved keys and keyboards for use in electronic equipment such as computers and computer accessories.